Timken (TKR) Upgraded From Hold to Buy

Timken (TKR) has been upgraded by TheStreet Ratings from Hold to Buy with a ratings score of B.

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NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Timken (TKR) has been upgraded by TheStreet Ratings from Hold to Buy with a ratings score of B. TheStreet Ratings Team has this to say about their recommendation:

"We rate TIMKEN CO (TKR) a BUY. This is driven by a few notable strengths, which we believe should have a greater impact than any weaknesses, and should give investors a better performance opportunity than most stocks we cover. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its growth in earnings per share, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures and notable return on equity. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income."

Highlights from the analysis by TheStreet Ratings Team goes as follows:

TIMKEN CO has improved earnings per share by 7.0% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. This company has reported somewhat volatile earnings recently. But, we feel it is poised for EPS growth in the coming year. During the past fiscal year, TIMKEN CO reported lower earnings of $2.19 versus $5.05 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($2.53 versus $2.19).

TKR's debt-to-equity ratio is very low at 0.27 and is currently below that of the industry average, implying that there has been very successful management of debt levels. Although the company had a strong debt-to-equity ratio, its quick ratio of 0.94 is somewhat weak and could be cause for future problems.

Regardless of the drop in revenue, the company managed to outperform against the industry average of 3.8%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly dropped by 0.3%. The declining revenue has not hurt the company's bottom line, with increasing earnings per share.

The return on equity has improved slightly when compared to the same quarter one year prior. This can be construed as a modest strength in the organization. When compared to other companies in the Machinery industry and the overall market, TIMKEN CO's return on equity is below that of both the industry average and the S&P 500.

In its most recent trading session, TKR has closed at a price level that was not very different from its closing price of one year earlier. This is probably due to its weak earnings growth as well as other mixed factors. The stock's price rise over the last year has driven it to a level which is somewhat expensive compared to the rest of its industry. We feel, however, that other strengths this company displays justify these higher price levels.